The difference between immoral revenge and lawful retribution is in the principle of proportionality

For proportionality to remain a helpful category in limiting the horrors of war, it needs to remain a calculation of costs against effects—measuring the goods to be achieved by two measures of harms, including that which will be likely done if force is not used,

Like many, my reaction to the killing of Iran’s Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani has been an admixture of satisfaction and apprehension.

Is Donald Trump really supporting a disproportionate response against Iran? US military responses must be, and have been during the Trump administration, proportionate.

Two Christian schools of thought might support covert operations and espionage: the just war tradition and a kind of “dirty hands” moralism. The dirty hands view says all those in political power must unavoidably resort to evil for the common good. The just war tradition has a different approach.

Following the Christian just war tradition, could the assassination of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad be justified, despite its illegal nature?

The First Marine Division’s paragon of virtue, Chesty Puller, upheld the standards of just warfighting and respect, if not love, of the enemy. We pray his progeny leading the defense of our nation today will do the same.